If there’s any city in the U.S. that needs the coronavirus to go away faster than Las Vegas, I can’t imagine which one it would be. But the reports out of Sin City appear rather bleak these days. My friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. today reported that some in Vegas “would go so far as to say the situation is dire.” “When the Las Vegas Sands reported a second-quarter earnings loss of almost $1 billion earlier this month, Sands President and COO Rob Goldstein said on the call: ‘We’re in a world of hurt here in terms of Las Read more

It’s not just Canada that’s taking it on the chin when it comes to tourism. According to WCJT, a group that operates a PBS television station and National Public Radio station in Jacksonville, the Sunshine State is looking at a rather cloudy tourism picture for the second quarter of this year. “Florida’s vital tourism industry suffered an estimated 60.5% drop in visitors as the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard during the year’s second quarter, with international travel off more than 90%,” they said. During the second quarter, an estimated 12.801 million people — almost all traveling from other states — came Read more

Leave your car behind and arrive fresh for your Muskoka holiday. FLYGTA’s regular flights between Billy Bishop City Airport (the Toronto island Airport) and Muskoka had been interrupted by COVID-19. But the airline announced today that it is resuming flights on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from YTZ to Muskoka Airport YQA The flights take just 30 minutes, eliminating the hassle of traffic gridlock to and from Muskoka. Pandemic measures are in place for all flights in accordance with Transport Canada guidelines. The terminal and planes are thoroughly cleaned both before and after flights. Social distancing is enforced by staff and Read more

I’m  on the road today so this is a re-post from a fun visit to Munich, Germany a few years ago.   MUNICH – Sometimes in life we read too much about a place before we arrive. We get all pumped up about this area or that, and then we get there and it all goes flat. I have to plan my trips reasonably carefully to get the stories I want, but I still try to leave as much unplanned – and un-scouted – as possible. That way, I get to a destination and find myself more surprised than I Read more

With the Canadian tourism and travel sectors in a state of disaster, some of the world’s most important and influential business leaders and the World Travel and Tourism Council today demanded action from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has urgently called on the Canadian government for strong leadership and unprecedented international collaboration, to save the struggling Travel & Tourism sector and recover the millions of jobs already impacted,” said the letter, obtained by TravelPulse Canada. “Over 100 of the world’s major travel and global business leaders, from major airlines, airports, hotels, tour operators Read more

Air Transat has unveiled its sun destinations for the coming (sorry to mention it) winter. Meanwhile, United is beefing up its Florida flights, and a business group is pushing for Canada to open its borders. Also, a top tourism expert looks at when San Francisco might recover. My Future of Travel blog for Aug. 13. Transat’s Sun Lineup for Winter To accompany its Here Comes the Sun Promo, currently in full swing, Transat is delighted to unveil its 2020-2021 South brochure. Vibrant and easy to consult, it features a total of 320 properties grouped under its four collections—Luxury, Distinction, Family and Solo—in over 30 destinations Read more